TELSTRA has reaffirmed its commitment to providing more regional Australians with improved connectivity, announcing $17 million of its own funding will be spent to develop the mobile network.

The funding will be spent on 46 projects delivering new or improved mobile coverage for communities living, working or traveling in the Darling Downs and Western Queensland.

The investment will be delivered through capacity and speed upgrades to existing base stations, new small cells for 4G coverage, as well as Telstra’s contribution to the Mobile Black Spot Program.

Telstra area general manager Darren Clark said the upgrades and coverage expansion would benefit regional centres such as Toowoomba as well as remote Darling Downs and Western Queensland communities.

“We know mobile coverage is a key priority for people and businesses in regional and rural areas,” Mr Clark said.

“This investment includes 12 new projects to upgrade our mobile network in the Toowoomba region and other locations such as Wyaga as well as the installation of Small Cell technology in 11 locations including Muttaburra.”

Mr Clark said Telstra had a long history of investing in regional Australia including spending $2.2 billion in the past three years on its regional mobile network across Australia.

Mobile coverage is a key priority for people and businesses in regional and rural areas. - Darren Clark, Telstra

“From supporting sales workforces in the field to small art galleries being able to take credit card payments for the first time, mobile connectivity is becoming more and more vital to small business growth and stability.

“Access to mobile coverage on the road can be just as important as being connected at home or the office. It’s good for business, safety and even simple pleasures like streaming your favourite song while on a long drive.”

Mr Clark said the investment was also helping extend Telstra’s Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities, with Cat M1 IoT coverage now reaching around 3 million square kilometers, connecting devices and apps to new and innovative technology.

“This includes a range of things from agriculture apps accessing IoT sensors that let farmers measure the soil moisture of avocado trees to IoT sensor based tracking of plant and equipment parcels in the field and in transit,” Mr Clark said.

“We will continue to expand our network across the country so that all Australians can have access to the latest technology and stay connected to the things they love.”